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Month: January 2015

There is nothing worse than entering a sauna or steam room in a beautiful spa or leisure facility and being assailed by the smell of sweaty, stagnant air!

Hygiene is possibly one of THE most important aspects of any commercial venture, both in terms of how the rooms are built and also how they are used.

Whether you are currently refurbishing your spa or residential wellbeing space, or even building new rooms to complement your existing set up, it is important to take the following points into account.

The correct air flow in a sauna prevents air stagnating or hot spots being created. A correctly located passive air ventilation system will ensure fresh air is replenished and the heat is distributed evenly throughout the room. Fragrances can also be added to further enhance the bathing experience bringing in refreshing, pleasant aromas. Kicki Carlsson Essential Oils are a great way to add that perfect fragrance to revitalise or relax!

Ensure consideration is given to the type of products used for the construction of the rooms. The wooden benches in a sauna help prevent the spread of bacteria but the floors can harbour the growth of dermaphytic pathogens which can contribute to fungal foot disease. It is advised to choose large format, easy to clean tiles for the floor. Clean the sauna floor with an ordinary cleaning detergent daily. It is important to never keep water in a sauna bucket for longer than 24 hours, so ensure you change the water and clean the bucket daily to prevent bacteria growing.

Always encourage guests to sit on a towel while bathing

Advise, and encourage, guests to always shower before and after sauna bathing. This helps remove perfume and after-shave, the smell of which can become stronger in the heat of a sauna. It can also leave unsightly marks on the timber. The water also removes any chlorine on the body or swimwear which can become volatile in the high temperatures and cause irritation to eyes and lungs. Bathers should also be reminded to sit on a towel when using a sauna to avoid having to sit or lie in other peoples sweat.

Shower before sauna bathing to remove perfumes and after shaves which can leave residue marks

Corian is a brilliant low maintenance, hygienic material to use for steam room benches as there is no grouting to clean. Always have benches sloping away from the walls to avoid having to sit in stale pools of water which have collected on the seats!

Corian is grout free and easy to clean. Perfect for steam room benches.

It is also a good idea to install Kneipp hoses in steam rooms so that guests can cool themselves down and also wash down the benches after use.

The majority of all New Year Resolutions are fitness related. And for the first fortnight of the New Year, the overcrowded gyms and the increase in slightly unfit joggers on our streets are testament to this. However, it takes willpower and determination to keep to any resolution and usually by mid-January we are all back to our old habits. But why not take wellbeing into the workplace and encourage healthy eating and good wellness practices within your office environment? What better place to have others help motivate you into continuing with your New Year Resolutions!

It is not difficult to implement a few changes to benefit the wellbeing of employees. Have a bowl of fresh fruit available so that staff can snack on fruit rather than chocolate and sugary treats. Here at Dröm UK we also have a selection of herbal teas as an alternative to tea and coffee if required. Herbal teas are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals to help boost your energy levels, aid concentration and detoxify the body. And it is well documented that drinking water throughout the day helps keep your body hydrated which helps focus and concentration as well as flushing out toxins. If you keep a bottle of water on your desk you will be surprised how easy it is to keep sipping from it without even thinking!

We are also very privileged in that we work in a Showroom dedicated to showing off the benefits of wellbeing! Staff can take a break from staring at their computer screens and relax on one of our heated loungers enabling them to clear their mind and restore mental clarity before heading back to their desks. The radiant heat also eases any muscular tension built up from poor desk posture and encourages blood flow and good circulation.

British Commonwealth silver medal winning athlete Ashley Bryant relaxing on one of the Sommerhuber heated loungers on display in the Dröm UK showroom.

Utilise your lunchbreaks to take a short walk. The fresh air will help clear your lungs enabling you to take in more oxygen as you take deep breaths. The increased oxygen in your cells gives you more energy and helps to sharpen your mind and will also help stimulate your immune system. The fresh air also helps improve your heart rate, blood pressure and metabolic rate.

So if we are really determined to stay healthy in 2015, implementing these few small changes into your working day will help enormously to keep you focused and motivated. After all, once you see results and feel better in yourself, it is much easier to keep going!